March 1: AU Spelling Bee

Aurora University's first student spelling bee will feature five teams of three students each starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 in the university banquet hall in Alumni Hall at 1410 Marseillaise Place in Aurora. The public is invited. In contrast to the traditional spelling-bee format, team members may collaborate on spelling words. Prizes and refreshments are included. Phillips Library and the Office of Student Activities are the sponsors. When two teams are left, a bonus round will feature words submitted by AU faculty experts. Words have been submitted from the fields of psychology, communication, English, religion, and philosophy.

Feb. 16: AU music faculty recital

Aurora University music faculty will present an evening of solo performances Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave.

The public is invited. Admission is free. No reservations are required.

The program features music by Rachmaninoff, Vivaldi, Handel, Brahms, Gwyneth Walker and Thelonious Monk.

Performers scheduled are Todd Diehl, baritone; Michelle Areyzaga, soprano; Richard Larsen, guitar; Sungha Chi, piano; and Joel Moore, saxophone. They will be accompanied by pianists Matthew Gemmill and Chi.

In honor of Valentine's Day, Lisa Fredenburgh and Mark Plummer will join other vocalists during the second half of the program to present Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzer.”

Aurora University’s music faculty, recognized professionals in their fields, perform and teach throughout Chicago and the western suburbs.

The university has expanded its music faculty to include instructors in violin, viola, flute, guitar, trumpet, trombone and euphonium.

Feb. 12: New Dollar General opens - get free gift cards

Shoppers in Aurora have a new place to shop for everyday essentials at low prices. Dollar General recently opened a new store at 1261 N Lake Street and is hosting a grand opening celebration Saturday, February 12 at 8 a.m.

At the grand opening event, customers will enjoy special deals and free prizes. The first 50 shoppers at the store will receive a $10Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways.

The new store features a fresh layout, designed to make shopping simple for customers. Seasonal products are displayed in the center of the store, and departments are easily recognizable with visible signage. Coolers conveniently located at the front of the store.

Feb. 12: Listen and watch East-West game

(Aurora)- The annual East Aurora v. West Aurora Basketball Game on Saturday, February 12 will be broadcast LIVE on television, radio, and via webcast.

Beginning at 7:15 p.m., fans can access the game via:

TELEVISION

Live coverage of the varsity game can be watched on:

§ Aurora Community Television (ACTV) Channel 10

§ Fox Valley Television (FVTV) Channel 99 on AT & T U-Verse

WEB
Live streams of the varsity game can be watched online at:

§ East Aurora School District 131: www.d131.org

§ West Aurora School District 129: www.sd129.org

§ Fox Valley Television: www.fvtv.info

RADIO

The varsity game can also be heard on:

§ WBIG 1280 am

As an added bonus, this cross-town classic is also Comcast’s CN100 Game of the Week! A rebroadcast of the game can be seen all throughout Chicagoland at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15 on The Comcast Network CN 100!

The game will be held at East Aurora High School.

Feb. 19: Free Fitness Fun Fair for Kids

AURORA – Families and children are invited to enjoy the free fun at the Vaughan Athletic Center on Saturday, Feb. 19, when the Fox Valley Park District will stage its annual Fitness Fun Fair for Kids.

The educational and interactive event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is free to all families and children. Children will have opportunities to take part in fun and healthy activities that include an inflatable obstacle course, KitFit demos, ZumbAtomic sessions and other activities designed to get kids moving and exercising.

“We want to encourage kids to be active by introducing them to forms of exercise they find fun and invigorating,” said recreation supervisor Tammi Cosola. “By making exercise enjoyable to them, they’re much more likely to develop healthy habits they will carry into adulthood.”

Other highlights include live entertainment, active dancing and contests, with more than 20 vendors on hand to promote personal care and healthy lifestyles.

For more information, call the Vaughan Athletic Center at (630) 907-9600.

Feb. 13: West Branch Concert Series - Richard Sladek, pianist

Award-winning pianist Richard Sladek will perform selections from the Gershwin Songbook from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 at Aurora Public Library, West Branch on Constitution. Richard has been a keyboard player for a number of musical theater productions and ballet troupes as well as a featured artist at Nordstrom and Von Maur.

Feb. 5: Souper Bowl of Caring

Join the movement that is transforming Super Bowl weekend into the nation’s largest youth-led weekend of giving and serving

For the last 20 years, the Souper Bowl of Caring has shown Americans that while we are preparing to enjoy the Super Bowl, we can help those without a bowl of soup to eat.

On February 5, 2011, student volunteers from across the country are coming together once again to fight hunger and poverty in their communities.

Won’t you join us as we join them? In cooperation with Jewel-Osco, The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Fox Valley United Way are working together to help fill the shelves at the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry and the Kendall County Food Pantry. Each year these pantries experience a significant reduction in donations after the holidays, limiting their ability to help families who are struggling to avoid homelessness.

This year, youth volunteers and adult supervisors will be accepting monetary and food donations at 10 locations in and around Aurora and in Kendall County.

How can you help?

• Host a food drive at your place of work. Ask employees to bring non-perishable food items to be gathered and delivered to the Fox Valley United Way office or Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce office by February 7, 2011.

• Make a monetary donation. Each dollar donated purchases six dollars of food for the pantries. Checks should be made payable to the Fox Valley United Way. Cash donations can also be brought to the chamber or United Way office. Or you can contribute by credit card here.

• Come to local Jewel-Osco store on Saturday, February 5, 2011 and drop off a cash donation or help fill the food bin.
  
  For more information, including a list of locations, please call Deborah Collins at the
  Fox Valley United Way at 630-896-4636. You can also visit www.uwfoxvalley.com.

Oswego on your radar: A triathlon comes to town!

Some Oswego things to keep on your radar:

Oswego Cyclery Bike Repair Seminars - Starting Sunday, Jan. 30th they will be having maintenance seminars at the shops during the winter season. Seminars will last 45 minutes to 1 hour so bring a chair. Call 630-551-2300 for more information.

Oswego American Legion Valentine's Dinner and Horse & Wagon Ride will be held on Feb. 12th from 5-8 pm. Call 630-554-8751 for details.

Allied First Bank presents Oswego Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, Aug 7th, 2011. For more information call 630-383-0169 or register online at www.oswegotriathlon.com

Feb. 1: Snowy weather warning starts at 3 p.m.

CITY MAKING FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR IMPENDING BLIZZARD

The City of Aurora is in the final stages of preparing for the impending blizzard that is expected to hit this afternoon and last until the middle of the day on Wednesday.

A blizzard warning beginning at 3 p.m. today and lasting until 3 p.m. Wednesday has been issued by the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to be dangerous and potentially life threatening.

City officials are encouraging residents to stay off the roads and to remain indoors if at all possible for the duration of the storm. The high winds expected to accompany the blizzard will make travel potentially impossible, according to the Weather Service. Officials also are reminding residents to check in on elderly and handicapped family and neighbors to make sure they are safe.

In preparation, the City’s full cadre of more than 100 snow plows, including those from private contractors, have been prepared and are ready to begin tackling snow removal across Aurora’s 2,100 lane miles of roads. City officials are asking residents to make sure all vehicles are off of streets and alleyways to assure safe and effective snow plowing, which will be further challenged because of the heavy snow and high winds. Aurora’s snow ordinance prohibits parking on City streets and alleyways during or after a snowfall of 2 inches or more with violators risking a ticket and tow at their expense.

In order to field an expected increase in calls, Aurora’s Customer Service Center will have extended hours. Residents seeking non-emergency City services and information can call the Center at (630) 256-INFO (4636) until 7 p.m. tonight and from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday. Incidents that pose an immediate threat to life or property should be directed to 911.

In addition, Allied Waste, the City’s contracted waste and recycling collection company, has cancelled garbage and recycling pickup for Wednesday. Service will resume Thursday, Feb. 3, and continue throughout Saturday, Feb. 5. The schedule change means all Allied Waste garbage pick-up in the City will be pushed back one day this week.

The City plans on e-mailing any necessary storm updates to residents who have signed up for the service. Residents are encouraged to click on Aurora’s website at www.aurora-il.org to sign up for e-mail news. The top of the website’s homepage also will feature links directly to the latest weather forecasts, City updates, safety tips, warming centers, school closings, and other information during the storm.